2023 Highlights

[voodoo_simon]

Didn’t do this thread last year as I was in a grump

I’m still in a grump but what the heck…

4 categories
-Inspiration of the year (media/person/object etc)*
-Favourite ride/trail/trip if the year
-Favourite new kit/bike bought this/used this year
-Wild card category to spout your opinions…



*Que expected “I don’t like famous people” grumpiness response

[Bearlegged]

-Inspiration of the year (media/person/object etc)*
Maybe inspiration is not quite the right word, but raison d'etre? Inexperienced/less confident riders. This year has been my first season of MTB leading work, and it has been very rewarding.

I know I probably sounded a bit high after the lesson, but I still feel like I've done something amazing... I don't think I would ever have been capable of doing as much as I did do, and confronting it gave me an opportunity I might have denied myself.

-Favourite ride/trail/trip if the year
Rapha Pennine Rally. A significant departure from my usual solitary bimblings, and an unknown quantity as to whether or not I'd be able to ride 5 x 100km days. I found some lovely folk to ride with along the way, had a brilliant time, and felt like I was just getting into my stride as we neared Manchester - I'd quite happily have done another day or two.

-Favourite new kit/bike bought this/used this year
Cotic Jeht. First time having a full boing bike. My first run down Jumbles Road was such a revelation after many years of bumping down it on a hardtail, I was in fits of laughter by the time I got to the bottom.

-Wild card category to spout your opinions…
Best beer of the year: Öö X, Põhjala brewery, Estonia.

[thenorthwind]

Best beer of the year: Öö X, Põhjala brewery, Estonia.

Allow me to help you out with a photo:

Põhjala Taproom, Tallinn. Just don't ask me which one it is

[Stinginglip]

Best beer of the year: Öö X, Põhjala brewery, Estonia.

Allow me to help you out with a photo:

Põhjala Taproom, Tallinn. Just don't ask me which one it is

Oh dear, I'll sample all of em and let you know which one it is

[voodoo_simon]

Better add mine…

-Inspiration
The humble OS map for my winter project (yes, it started in winter 2022 but it kept me going for 11 months this year). Perfect way to spend time looking for new routes and visiting new places Found it really good in the winter when I only had an hour spare to ride, so I’d try and tick off a few squares rather than not going out. Enjoyed it so much that I blew the budget this year from £8 to £16 to get a custom one done (with a photo from the previous year project on the cover - natch!)


-Favourite ride/trail
Actually got two. Last May/June I spent quite a bit of time exploring Bishop Bennetts way over in Cheshire/Wales. Not all the bridleways on the route were passable, so was good fun (and frustrating) trying to link up the oaths (it is/was a proper route but the council haven’t sadly looked after it). Was speaking with the local farmers and they said the council just weren’t interested in maintaining the ways anymore. Definitely an early spring route when the ground has been dry for a week or so. Will be back next spring with a much better idea of a solid route

Second one was my fatbike ride from GFBD 2023, taking in the coastline of the Wirral. Was a brilliant day out when I was feeling very low. Just what I needed and had much of the beaches to myself in the morning (lesss so after dinner but plenty of space). Was freezing out, blue sky but embracing weather - loved it. Always had a love/hate affair with my fatbike but after a couple of upgrades this autumn, I got 3 kilos off the bike, it rides so much nicer (and it cost less than £150…).


-Favourite new kit…
Peaty’s all weather lube! Yep, superior to muc off in every shape and form. Why didn’t I swap lines sooner, longer lasting, not as sticky as the wet lubes. Should be perfect for all but the absolute summer months


-Wildcard…
Hillwalking! Done more this year than any other year. Mainly on rolling hills rather than mountains but thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of life and seeing some places I wouldn’t normally if I was riding.


Beer wise, I can’t drink anything if I can’t see through it Just not my thing (so that leaves more for Bearlegged and thenorthwind!)

[Bearbonesnorm]

Cliche maybe but my inspiration is you lot. Not grumpy but genuinely not inspired by 'faces' as most are doing nothing that hundreds of others haven't already done before with less fuss. However, I do find some inspiration in the bloke I see walking into Llanidloes - walks very badly (possibly MS), requires 2 sticks and shakes quite severely, yet there he is walking down and back up the big hill, day in, day out no matter the weather. A fit 20-something crying into their Pot Noodle and telling me how hard their pushbike ride is, just doesn't compare.

Favourite trail, event etc. Probably the WRT for the circus like atmosphere and the feeling of 'bringing everyone together'.

Kit, happy to have not bought any.

[Johnallan]

-Inspiration of the year (media/person/object etc)

Some very close family didn't get to see the year out. Being healthy and able enough to do what I want is enough inspiration to keep doing it.

-Favourite ride/trail/trip if the year

They're all good but the Bryan Robinson Memorial 600km Audax was special. (Longest distance without rest prior to PBP.)

-Favourite new kit/bike bought this/used this year

A second hand Castelli Perfetto is getting a lot of use.

-Wild card category to spout your opinions…
I'll add event highlights here:
Audax
A few 200's, Knock Ventoux 300, Great North Roads 400, BCM 600, Pendle 600, PBP 1200

Longer off-road/ITTs
Dale's Divide, Calder Divide (extra long), NYM 300, Jennride, BB200 - probably others I've missed

Missed opportunities - BaM slipped in spring after 15? Consecutive months. Mostly due to riding through the nights without sleep, or sleeping at Audax controls against BaM rules.

Similar outlook for 2024. Possibly adding some Scottish trails and hopefully tick off the remaining Wainwrights (on foot)

[ton]

i am usually in a grump at this time of year. always hated xmas, but this year something has changed and i feel quite chipper.
so,
inspiration. Kevin Sinfield, former Leeds Rhino's captain. the work he does for the MND charity is astounding. amazing bloke, and someone i could look up to.
trip.myself and the wife went on a cycling beer tour of belgium and holland. just perfect really. ace beer, car free cycling, win.
bike.my new to me fatbike. bought cheaply after selling what i thought was gonna be my forever bike. it has reignited my love of cycling offroad, very slowly now. so much that i have a fatbike trip to norway planned for january.
wildcard. Shaf off of here. a bloke who just wants to help people and to do good. and any bloke who will sell his bike for a charity has to be a good egg.

[Johnallan]

myself and the wife went on a cycling beer tour of belgium and holland. just perfect really. ace beer, car free cycling, win.

Now that sounds wonderful

[godivatrailrider]

trip.myself and the wife went on a cycling beer tour of belgium and holland. just perfect really. ace beer, car free cycling, win.

Agreed. Myself and my lad did one through Belgium maybe 2016, fabulous experience over 6 days, stayed with friends from Singlespeed Belgique most nights. Visited a few breweries, West Malle, Achel, Maredsous
Lovely riding, including De Muur & Koppenberg - highly recommended.

[jameso]

Nice idea.

-Inspiration of the year (media/person/object etc)*
- Can I mention a place, a very general one, as well as a person? The English lanes in autumn. Since being back in the Cotswolds and finding my way round again I've had sunny autumn days on the bike that just make me feel inspired and full of the joys. There's something inspiring about seeing the simple beauty on my doorstep, the accessibility of it. I mean, I'd start a trip to the Karakorum this afternoon if I could.. but the yellow and brown and orange leaves, the damp shiny lanes and blue skies, I just love it. I'll credit Jack Thurston for influence here, his Lost Lanes series has been my favourite armchair travelling of recent years and there's some lovely photography in there. A winding lane on a nice day, what more do I need.

-Favourite ride/trail/trip if the year
My now-annual tracks and roads ride from home into Snowdonia via mid Wales and back. The Cwmystwyth road heading east towards Rhayader in particular. There's grander places of course but that road feels almost local because it's in reach of a week's loop from home.

-Favourite new kit/bike bought this/used this year
I don't think I've bought anything significant this year. I really like the Purgatory 2.6 T7 tyres I bought for £20 each. I've re-done the controls on 2 of my bikes and got them a bit more dialled-in and fitted BB7s that I'm a big fan of despite having them for years before and a period using hydros and Spyres, maybe I just figured out how to set the BB7s up better but they're so good I might ditch the hydros on my SS next. I love finding simple ways to get sufficient performance with more adaptability and being able to separate brake lever from calliper more easily (to mix and match) is great. Same sort of freedom that comes from bar end shifters Vs STIs.

-Wild card category to spout your opinions…
Edited, maybe I was being a grump :) not the time/place for that.

[AndreR]

Enjoying reading these!

Inspiration of the year (media/person/object etc)* This Forum, love seeing people doing all the fun, strange, crazy and brilliant things they do. Keeps me inspired to get out and do too.

-Favourite ride/trail/trip if the year WRT, love this event and really wish I'd found it sooner! Most of my bike packing is done solo as I'm a bit of a loner and the guys I regularly MTB with regard camping as borderline homeless and weird so it's great to meet up with like minded people, chat and enjoy being together without being in each others pockets.

-Favourite new kit/bike bought this/used this year Not bought anything significant but am trying my first ever long winter bibs and liking them quite a lot. Usually wear shorts all year round.

-Wild card category to spout your opinions… Wildlife and nature watching, I have forgotten the pleasure and value in just sitting in a lovely spot watching the natural world go past doing its thing! Got into the habit of rushing about "being productive" and then feeling guilty when I'm not "productive". A walk/ride where you don't stop for some time and just enjoy where you are and the views is just exercise really.

[fatbikephil]

Just clocked 6001 miles on my annual tally so I'll post now!
Inspiration of year - you lot (especially Stu, why else would I have done the bloody BB300!)
Favourite ride / trip - NOT THE BB300! sorry. Actually my September trip round the eastern Cairngorms / Mounth. In theory the sunny Highland Trail should be but this trip was super relaxed, involved some ace trails, stunning weather and top bivvies.
Fav new bike - Lowside. Another shameless indulgence but it's and absolute hoot to ride.
Wildcard - riding out from home. Done a ton of this, this year - not with any axe to grind, it's just the way it happened but It makes for a great way to start any ride or trip.



The weather this year has been absolutely stunning, inspite of a crap winter and some heavy rain showers in the summer. All my ITT's, trips and weekend rides have seen wall to wall sunshine. Looks like winter is kicking off big style up here so fingers crossed for plenty of snow, then we will have to see....

[thenorthwind]

Thanks for reminding me that I'd started writing mine and then forgotten about it!

Inspiration: Anyone who reminds me that, for me at least, proper big technical mountain rides are the ultimate rides (which may or may not be facilitated by sleeping out). Local bimbles, long bikepacking tours, road rides, trail centre-type-stuff, audax... they're all great in their own way, but all essentially preparation for dragging self and bike up a big f***ing hill and having fun/scaring yourself to death riding down the other side. To wit, frequent Singletrack mag and Cranked (RIP) contributor James Vincent probably deserves a shout-out, along with other posters on "the other place" (munrobiker, Sanny, thegeneralist, etc.)


The Coire Làir, for example


Favourite trip: There's been a few highlights in an otherwise relatively dry year, but the Cairngorms Loop group finish in June, which I did with three friends over 4 days, with near perfect weather will take some beating.




Favourite new kit: I try not to bang on about it, honest, but the new commuter/utility bike I built up last winter has done a lot to remind me why bikes are generally great. I love riding it around town, but it's even surprised me with its capabilities, and it was fun to take it bikepacking for the winter bivvy weekend the other day.


Not my commute


Wildcard: I spent years mocking anyone who wore Crocs, let alone took them bikepacking, but having found myself a pair in a layby, I'm a convert for more relaxed trips. I'm a tourer now. Shoot me